A Tri-Cities man accused of repeatedly trying to break into women's homes is now in jail.
Richland police arrested Frank Ellis IV, 32, after a woman reported an intruder in her home about 6 a.m. Wednesday. She told police she recognized him because he had asked her for a cigarette near her home a few days earlier.
Ellis fled when police arrived, but they found him later in the day. When officers tried to make contact, he took off again, but they were able to catch him that time.
He was booked into the Benton County jail on suspicion of second-degree burglary, resisting arrest and obstructing officers.
Richland police said Ellis has a history of similar behavior and is asking anyone who believes they may have had similar contacts with Ellis to come forward.
They said he typically will ask women if he can come inside their home to use their phone or to charge his phone, get a drink of water or ask for a cigarette.
He is described as a bald, Black man about 5-foot-5, weighing 200 lbs.
Anyone with information can report it to Richland police by calling the non-emergency number at 509-942-7360.
Court records show that he has been arrested more than a dozen times in the past decade in Benton County for crimes such as theft, burglary, trespassing and stalking.
